The UK's National Cyber Security Center (NCSC) has urged organizations to upgrade to Windows 11 before the end of support deadline for Windows 10 hits in October.
In a blog post, the cybersecurity body pointed out there are significant security risks for those who do not choose to upgrade.
Beyond the difficulties linked to being out of a dedicated support period, out-of-date operating systems are prime targets for cyber criminals – and the NCSC said the risks simply aren’t worth it.
Take the IE 6-11 vulnerability from the end of support for Windows XP as an example.
Organizations have until October 2025 to update their devices and hardware before Windows 10 reaches end-of-life status. Despite Windows 11 being almost four years old, many have still not made the switch.
“While Windows 10 was released more than a decade ago, it is still used widely by enterprises and not upgrading is akin to incurring a debt at a high interest rate – with the threat of forced repayment at a future date,” NCSC chief technical officer, Ollie Whitehouse, warned.
“The NCSC implores any organisation that has not already migrated to a more modern system to do so to help address security vulnerabilities in your devices and ensure overall cyber resilience. This is essential as demonstrated by the requirement to maintain supported software in Cyber Essentials.”
What’s holding up the shift to Windows 11?
One reason for companies holding on to Windows 11 could be the necessary hardware requirements.
Requirements such as TPM 2.0, UEFI, and support for Secure Boot may mean upgrading to more modern laptops, which might be a cost headache in the short term.
However, the cost of a cyber incident might be far worse in the long run.
As part of its guidance, the NCSC also released updated configuration packs for Microsoft Windows, with selected group settings to make it easier to deploy.
The requirements have led to suggestions that it could lead to a global torrent of e-waste, with millions of devices scrapped.
Research from Canalys suggested that up to 240 million PCs around the world could be terminated as a result of the shift to Windows 11.
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